I said it yesterday, and I will say it again. Meyhew might mess around and be up for exec of the year if he keeps making solid moves like this one and has another great draft.

What's going on here?!

I have to admit I'm really digging Mayhew's moves. Clearly, they're not all going to work, but it certainly seems like he has a plan and is executing it well.

And I can't help but sit back in awe when, in two separate trades, he picks up a potential starter at cornerback for a 2010 sixth-rounder, and a backup quarterback for a 2011 seventh-rounder.

OK, so Detroit may have to give up another pick in the seventh round next year if Houston meets certain criteria.

Anyone going to miss that? Not if he becomes a starter at corner, that's for sure.

While the Lions didn't disclose whether they traded their own seventh-round pick from next year, or the whether it was the one they received in a trade last year is immaterial.

View full sizeAP File PhotoDetroit general manager Martin Mayhew did a great job in taking advantage of the Lions' priority position on the waiver wire last year, and picking up young quarterback Kevin O'Connell, who he promptly traded to the New York Jets for a 2011 seventh-round pick.

The beauty of it is that they had that extra seventh to trade for Shaun Hill because Mayhew had the foresight to make a subtle move by taking advantage of Detroit's awful 0-16 season, which gave them dibs on the waiver wire.

When the New England Patriots cut quarterback Kevin O'Connell, Mayhew knew there were other teams interested in him. So he snagged the 2008 third-round pick while he had the chance.

The coaches took a look at him, and O'Connell ended up playing in a preseason game, but really, odds were that one team would offer up something for the 25-year-old.

And that's exactly what happened.

Not a week later, the Lions sent O'Connell to the New York Jets for a conditional pick, which ended up being a 2011 seventh-rounder

I've got to give it up to Mayhew for being quick on his feet. It was a no-risk, all (potential) reward proposition. Worst-case scenario was that the Lions cut O'Connell, and the NFL offices got a little more paperwork.

Was Matt Millen too afraid of the extra paperwork? Did he not think it was worth the effort? What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhino?

Regardless, the Lions didn't make moves like this with Millen in charge. So kudos to Mayhew for trading a quarterback he was not likely to use for one who'll likely end up as backup, and who, at least, has a 10-6 record as a starter.

(Before you go on the "Hill sucks" tirade, give me a break here. I'm not falling head-over-heels for the guy like Killer is. Just saying he's a decent option as a backup, considering what the Lions gave up.)

As for Mayhew, I'm taking a more levelheaded approach, kind of like pointman112: